2. Also by Geraldene Holt
Cake Stall
Travelling Food
Budget Gourmet
Tuck Box Treats
French Country Kitchen
Recipes from a French Herb Garden
The Gourmet Garden
A Cup of Tea
Complete Book of Herbs
Country House Cooking
Diary of a French Herb Garden
5. [5]
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Abbreviations
Weights and Measures
STEPS TO SUCCESS
SCONES, TEABREADS, MUFFINS and WAFFLES
SPONGE CAKES
FRUIT CAKES
CHOCOLATE CAKES
SPICE CAKES and NUT CAKES
SMALL CAKES and PASTRIES
BISCUITS and COOKIES
FESTIVE CAKES
DECORATING CAKES
Index
6. [6]
For Rémy, Raphaël, Sadie, Hannah and Matthew, with love,
and in fond memory of my mother.
7. [7]
Acknowledgements
I
shall always be grateful to my customers at Tiverton Pannier Market;
little did any of us realize that my making cakes and their buying them
would launch me into food writing. In addition to those people named
in the text, my thanks go to the late Stanley Foster at Hodder & Stoughton,
who had faith in an unpublished author; and to Eleo Gordon of Penguin,
who brought Cake Stall to an even wider public. For their invaluable advice
over the years I thank Philippa Davenport, Alan and Jane Davidson, Josceline
Dimbleby, Pamela Todd, Marie-Pierre Moine, Amanda Evans, Celia Rufey,
Cortina Butler, Alison Cathie, Rosemary Barron, Vicky Hayward, Ann
Bagnall, Anne Collieu, Suzanne and Jeanette Doize, Sri and Roger Owen,
Sally and Tom Jaine, Helge and Hilary Rubinstein, Gordon Scott-Wise,
Stephen Hayward, Orlando Murrin, and the late Michael Bateman. I am
also indebted to all the readers who have encouraged me to re-issue the book
which has prompted me to revise and develop the scope of the original.
Warm appreciation goes to my family for their unfailing encouragement:
Alexander and Sarah with their children, Hannah and Matthew; and
Madeleine and Philip with their children, Rémy, Raphaël, and Sadie.
Abundant thanks also to my husband, Maurice, who has never knowingly
declined to eat cake.
Geraldene Holt, Oxford
(www.geraldeneholt.com)
8. [8]
Introduction
I
sat at the kitchen table and began to write. Page after page, recipe after
recipe, I knew them all by heart. When I ran my cake stall I baked
thousands of scones, hundreds of sponge cakes, countless biscuits and
cookies: so I was certain the recipes worked. I wrote everyday until I’d
recorded as accurately as I could all the details of how I baked. My husband
typed the pages for me, then I caught the train to London to deliver my book.
It was not until, months later, when the first early copy of Cake Stall arrived,
that I could really believe I’d become an author.
Reviewers were generous in their praise. I shall always be grateful to
Philippa Davenport, Josceline Dimbleby, and the late Margaret Costa for
their warm encouragement. Letters began to arrive from readers who said they
had at last learnt how to make cakes. Others had launched their own cake
stalls. ‘You saved my marriage,’ said one; another was relieved to discover how
to keep the family finances afloat by baking cakes when her small children
were asleep; and the wife of an English bishop wrote to thank me for helping
to launch an employment scheme for disadvantaged young people in her
city. And the friend who took over my Devon market stall, using a copy of
Cake Stall as her guide, was so successful she later opened an old-fashioned
tea-shop nearby.
Now that we are seeing a justified enthusiasm for localism, purity of ingre-
dients and the provenance of our food, farmers’ markets have sprung up all
over Britain. This has brought many more opportunities to sell home baking.
Oxford, for example, used to run just one outdoor market a week but now
the city holds fifteen markets every month. And I detect a return to cake stalls
– there is always a demand for high quality home-made cakes.
Market customers like to meet and talk to the person who produces the
food they are buying. Home bakers can offer not just superb oven-fresh fare
using the best ingredients but also, if they wish, draw upon a vast repertoire
of individual recipes, old and new. Every week, in addition to my usual
9. [9]
selection, I introduced one unusual or little-known cake and biscuit on my
stall. Supermarkets and commercial bakeries can only offer a restricted range.
When Cake Stall was published, Jane Grigson asked me about my next
work. ‘But I don’t know enough to write another book,’ I replied. ‘That’s
not the right approach, Geraldene,’ she laughed. ‘You write about what you
care about and find out about your subject on the way.’ Now, after writing a
dozen books about growing and cooking food in England and France, I have
returned to the subject of my first volume.
Cakes still emerge from my kitchen every week because I continue to
enjoy the exhilaration and satisfaction of baking – the magic of the oven has
never waned. Sometimes my cakes are sold on cake stalls, but these days the
proceeds go to charities and other good causes. And grandchildren have come
into my life, so I create cakes for them and we work in the kitchen together.
Over the years many readers have written to ask for a new edition of the
book – even my own copy is now falling apart – so, at last, I have revised
and enlarged the original version. My gratitude goes to the journalists Jane
Shilling and Helen Peacocke for urging me to do so. I have included many of
my newly created cakes along with improved interpretations of old favourites,
though the most popular recipes from the first edition are still here. I hope you
enjoy this bigger, better Cake Stall and that your talent for baking develops
and flourishes, enabling you and your family and friends to appreciate the
delectable results.
10. [10]
Abbreviations
teaspoon – tsp
dessertspoon – dsp
tablespoon – tbs
gram – g
kilogram – kg
millilitre – ml
litre – l
millimetre – mm
centimetre – cm
metre – m
ounce – oz
pound – lb
fluid ounce – fl oz
pint – pt
inch – in.
foot – ft
Unless stated otherwise: all cake tins are round; spoonfuls are level; butter is
unsalted; sugar is caster; and eggs are large.
11. [11]
Weights and Measures
Metric and Imperial Equivalence Tables
Weight Volume
Grams Ounces Millilitres Fluid Ounces
¼ ¼
½ ½
¾
½ ½
½ = ¼ pt
½
½ = ½ pt
½
= ¾ pt
= pt
¼ pt
½ pt
l ¾ pt
. l pt
. l ¾ pt
l ½ pt
lb . l ½ pt
lb oz l ¼ pt
½ lb
lb
kg lb oz
lb
12. [12]
Level Spoonfuls
teaspoon holds ml or g
dessertspoon holds ml or g
tablespoon holds ml or g
Length
mm and cm inches mm and cm inches
mm ⅛ .
mm ¼
½
¾
.
¼
½
. ¾ .
. ½ = foot
= m ½ in.
Temperature
Electricity Gas Degrees Degrees
& Solid Fuel Mark Fahrenheit Celsius
Cool ¼
Cool ¼
Cool ¼ – ½
Very slow
Slow
Slow
Moderate
Moderate
Moderately hot
Hot
Very hot
Very hot
14. [14]
. Baking ingredients
. Baking equipment
. Making the most of your time
. Selling cakes
15. [15]
BAKING INGREDIENTS
I am often asked about ingredients in home baking. So here are a few notes
about the principal ones I use in this book.
Butter
Unsalted butter is my preferred fat for baking cakes, though slightly salted
butter is fine for pastry. English, French and Dutch unsalted butter softens
quickly, making mixing easier, and it imparts a delicate yet rich flavour to
baking. Use butter at room temperature in cakes; for pastry, use chilled butter
straight from the fridge.
Clarified butter
Clarified butter is invaluable for greasing baking tins and moulds. I usually
line baking sheets and the the flat base of a cake tin with non-stick baking
parchment, but the sides of the tin are often best brushed with clarified butter.
And patterned baking tins such as the scallop-shaped Madeleine cake moulds
that cannot be lined with paper require greasing with clarified butter for the
best result. The advantage of clarified butter is that the milk solids – which
cause a cake to stick to the tin – have been removed.
To make clarified butter: melt some unsalted butter in a pan over low heat.
When liquid, gently pour the clear yellow part into a cup or jar
leaving the milky solids in the pan – these can be added to cakes
and biscuit mixtures. Leave the pot of clarified butter in a cool
place to set and use as needed.
Dairy cream
Fresh double cream is the type I use most often, for filling or decorating a
cake. Double cream is easily whisked to a thick, glossy mixture. But take care
16. [16]
’
in a hot kitchen with cream at room temperature – it’s easy to overdo the
whisking so that the cream separates, producing a grainy, butter-like result.
The high proportion of butterfat in double cream not only makes it the
richest liquid cream but also gives it versatility: it can be thinned with milk
to produce a lighter whipping cream; and it can absorb up to a quarter of its
weight in extra liquid, so a few spoonfuls of black coffee or fruit juice stirred
into the whipped cream can transform its flavour and lighten the consistency.
If you wish to sweeten double cream, fold in a teaspoon or so of caster or
icing sugar.
Single cream contains butterfat
Whipping cream contains – butterfat
Crème fraîche contains a range of butterfat from – as stated on the
label
Soured cream contains – butterfat
Double cream contains butterfat
Yoghurt
Dairy milk cultured with lactic-acid-producing bacteria results in the healthy
and delicious product known by its Turkish name of yoghurt. Plain, natural
yoghurt is the kind used in baking. It may be organic, full-fat, or low-fat,
and made from the milk of cows, goats or sheep. A few spoonfuls of plain
yoghurt folded into whipped double cream lightens the mixture and gives an
attractive flavour that resembles crème fraîche and soured cream.
Sugar
Sugar is one of the quartet of ingredients common to most cake-making.
While you can make a cake without butter or eggs or flour, sugar is almost
always present. Sugar used in baking comes either from sugar cane grown in
a tropical or sub-tropical climate (although in the Middle Ages it was grown
as far north as Sicily) or from the turnip-like sugar beet of northern latitudes.
Refined beet sugar is white in colour and is inexpensive, while unrefined cane
sugar retains its natural golden-brown colour and varies in flavour from fudge
to dark toffee. All types of sugar should be stored in an air-tight container
or bag to prevent lumps forming – and even then sugar may need to be
17. [17]
sieved before adding to a mixture. For most sugars rounded tablespoon is
approximately g/ oz.
Beet sugar: there are three grades of white beet sugar.
Granulated, the cheapest type, with fairly coarse grains, can be used
for cooking fruit or in rubbed-in cake mixtures.
Caster, finer grains than granulated, widely used in cake-making
since it dissolves easily and produces a light mixture when blended
with butter.
Icing sugar, a powdered sugar used for making meringues, icings
and for dusting over cakes and biscuits. It must be stored in a sealed
container to prevent lumps forming, and it is advisable to sieve
before use.
Cane sugar: I list the types in ascending order of depth of colour and
flavour.
Golden granulated, coarse grain can be used in place of white
granulated.
Golden caster, fine grain with delicately caramel flavour, use in place
of white caster sugar in many recipes.
Demerara, large amber grains that take longer to dissolve, but are
good for sprinkling over the top of a cake before baking, and have
a light caramel flavour.
Light brown soft, fine-grained, can be used in place of caster sugar
where a fudge flavour is welcome, recommended for biscuits and
cookies.
Light muscovado, fine-grained, use where a more pronounced
flavour is called for, in light fruit cakes and in fudge frosting.
Dark brown soft, fine-grained, moderately strong caramel flavour,
excellent in dark fruit, chocolate and spice cakes.
Dark muscovado, moist and fine-grained, with a strong toffee
flavour, good for dark fruit cakes and gingerbread.
Molasses, dark brown, moist, superb rich toffee flavour, use in
celebration fruit cakes and mincemeat.
18. [18]
’
Flavoured sugars
Sugar scented with spices, herbs and flowers brings a charming and individual
character to your baking. Traditionally, the aromatic element is layered with
sugar in an air-tight jar – pour some white or golden caster sugar into the
container, add sprigs of fresh rosemary leaves or lavender blossom, broken
bark of cinnamon, a split vanilla pod, or loveliest of all, fresh scented rose
petals. Then add more sugar and repeat the layers until the jar is full. Seal
the jar securely and place on a warm windowsill, turning it every few days to
distribute the flavour. After a few days, taste the sugar and, if already strongly
scented, use as soon as possible, sieving it first to remove the herbs or spices.
A speedy alternative for a herb- or flower-scented sugar is to chop the fresh
leaves or petals in a processor with a few spoonfuls of sugar. Chop until you
have a fairly fine aromatic mixture – though fragile rose petals should be
chopped only briefly to produce a fragrant pink-speckled sugar – which can
be used straight away, without sieving, in a raw mixture or for scattering over
a baked cake, icing or a cream filling.
Golden syrup
Intensely sweet liquid sugar produced from white sugar. It has a slightly
caramel flavour and it helps to keep cakes moist. One level tablespoon weighs
about g/ oz.
Black treacle and molasses
A dark, almost black syrup made from raw cane sugar with a strong toffee
flavour. Use in rich fruit cakes and gingerbread. One level tablespoon weighs
roughly g/ oz.
Honey
Honey is a naturally produced form of sugar, mainly fructose and sucrose, and
is a wonder food with more than constituents and many health-promoting
properties. Honey helps to keep a cake moist and gives an attractive sheen
when brushed over the top. Set honey can be converted into clear honey by
standing the jar in warm water or a hot cupboard for a day or longer. The
colour and flavour of honey depends on the flowers and nectar foraged by the
bees. This is is usually stated on the label. Specialist honeys with a pronounced
19. [19]
flavour include lavender and chestnut honey from France and the dark amber
honey from Greece with its pine-rich taste. As a one-time bee-keeper, I try to
support my local honey producers – they and their insects are an endangered
species. A level tablespoon of honey weighs close to g/ oz.
Eggs
Eggs are the principal raising agent in cake-making. If you are able to use
fresh, organic eggs you’ll notice the difference in the colour and size of a
baked cake. Keep eggs cool, then allow them to reach room temperature
before use. Always break an egg into a cup or saucer before adding it to
the mixing bowl – this way you can check the soundness of the egg and,
if necessary, remove any specks of shell. Left-over yolks and whites can be
stored, covered, in the fridge for a few days until used in a recipe that requires
only yolks, for instance, the Gold Cake on p. , or just egg whites as do
meringues (p. ). It’s also worth remembering that in mixtures that are not
expected to rise a great deal, such as a heavy fruit cake or crisp biscuits, egg
yolks can often replace egg white. The recipes in this book use large eggs,
each weighing approximately g/ oz.
Flour
Wheat flour is the most common form of ground cereal used in British
baking. Wholegrain wheat is milled and sifted to produce a fine powder and
several types are available to the home baker.
Bread flour, usually described as ‘strong’ flour, is ground from a ‘hard’
wheat with a high gluten content which contributes elasticity to
the dough.
Cake flour, is made from a ‘soft’ low-gluten wheat which combines well
with fat and other ingredients, making it suitable for a wide range
of home baking.
Wholemeal or wheatmeal flour, is a brown speckled mixture which includes
all of the nutritious wheat-germ and bran. The proportion of the
whole grain retained in the flour is stated on the packet – this varies
from (wholemeal) downwards (various extractions, usually
, called wheatmeal). Both plain and self-raising wholemeal and
wheatmeal flour are available.
20. [20]
’
Plain white flour, is produced by removing the bran and brown particles in
wholemeal flour by ‘bolting’ through a series of fine-mesh sieves –
forsponge-cakesusethefinestgradeflouryoucanfind,Iparticularly
recommend French and Italian cake flours; plain flour does not
contain a rising agent such as baking powder and is therefore
suitable for a wide range of cakes, biscuits and pastry. Plain flour
can replace self-raising flour in a recipe if you add g/ teaspoons
of baking powder to g/ oz plain flour, sifting them together
before adding to a mixture.
Self-raising white flour, is made by combining plain white flour with a
raising agent; some recipes such as scones and quick-mix cakes
call for self-raising flour plus baking powder. For a recipe to work
properly it is important to use the type of flour specified.
Cornflour
Also described as cornstarch, cornflour is a fine white powder produced
from refining maize or cornmeal. It contributes a soft texture to cakes and is
sometimes added to wheat flour in sponge cake, biscuit and pastry recipes.
Rice flour
Also known as ground rice, this is a cream-coloured granular powder made
from white rice, occasionally used as a partial replacement for wheat flour or
ground almonds.
Potato flour
This cream-coloured fine grain mixture is made from dried potatoes. It
appears in some Continental cake recipes in place of wheat flour.
Baking powder
Before factory-made baking powder was available, cooks prepared their own
– as Alison Uttley describes in Recipes from an Old Farmhouse. Today’s baking
powder is a blend of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar, with a dried
starch added to prolong its active life. When mixed with liquid, it effervesces
and releases carbon dioxide. So if you have prepared a mixture that contains
baking powder, it should be baked as soon as possible or the raising effect will
be reduced.
21. [21]
Bicarbonate of soda
Also known as baking soda, bicarbonate is an alkali used as a raising agent
with a more gentle action than baking powder. It has a stronger effect when
mixed with cream of tartar or lemon juice or buttermilk, but care must be
taken not to use too much in a recipe or its bitter flavour will predominate.
Cream of tartar
This mildly acidic raising agent begins to react, as does bicarbonate of soda, at
room temperature as soon as it is in contact with a liquid. A pinch of cream of
tartar is often added to liquid egg whites when making meringues.
Spices
Whole spices such as cloves and coriander will store quite well in a cool
place for some months, but finely ground spices tend to lose their intense
flavour and aroma after a few weeks. Ideally, spices should be freshly ground
just before use. An electric coffee mill (reserved for this purpose) will grind
most spices quickly and easily, though a reasonable result can be obtained
with a pestle and mortar – if necessary, sieve the pounded spice, discarding
the coarser grains. Some spices, such as cinnamon and dried ginger root, are
so hard that it is difficult to grind them satisfactorily at home – both these
spices are best bought ready-ground. Store ground spices in small refillable,
lidded glass jars in a dark, cool place. From time to time – and because I’m
very fond of allspice or Jamaican pepper – I mix my own spice blends for
cakes, either by combining the whole spices before grinding or by stirring the
ground spices together until I have the flavour I like. Most spice companies
produce good spice blends, it’s a matter of taste which you prefer. I also
recommend bringing back small packets of blended spices from abroad –
the countries that specialize in gingerbread, such as Holland, Sweden and
Germany, produce particularly attractive blends.
Dried fruit
I remember my mother opening the grocer’s mid-blue paper bag to spread
out the dried fruit on the kitchen table so that the stalks and small stones
could be discarded. But these days dried fruit is normally edible straight from
the bag – washed, dried and gleaming with a thin layer of vegetable oil. The
22. [22]
’
occasional stalk still gets through, and some whole fruit such as dried figs will
need the stalks removed before chopping and adding to the mixing bowl.
The bulk of dried fruit used in home baking is grown on the vine: seeded
and seedless raisins, sultanas, and currants.
To save time, look for the pitted form of stone fruits such as prunes, dates,
apricots and cherries, and the ready-to-eat kind do not need soaking to soften
the flesh. Chopped or sliced, these fruits can go straight into the mix.
Tree fruits such as dried apples and pears can be used as you buy them,
provided they are chopped quite small. To use the fruit in bigger pieces, first
soften it in a little apple juice or warm water.
Dried berries such as cranberries and blueberries are excellent in baking –
they can be used straight from the bag.
Candied fruit, such as pineapple, ginger, angelica and citrus peel, has a
reasonably long shelf-life. If still soft and pliable, candied fruit can be used
straight away. If encrusted with sugar, soften it in warm water before chopping
or slicing.
Fresh fruit
Fresh fruit baked in or on a cake develops a delicious flavour, subtly different
from that when cold and raw. Akin to the scent of freshly made jam, the
aroma of ripe summer fruit straight from the oven is one of the great pleasures
of home baking. When fruit is plentiful, I invariably incorporate some in a
cake. Use ripe fruit that is dry and firm because it retains its shape in the heat
of the oven and will not leak too much juice into the mixture.
Raspberries, small strawberries, black and red currants, gooseberries, blue-
berries, cranberries, blackberries, cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, figs,
pineapple, dessert apples and pears all work well in a cake, either folded into
the mixture or baked on top so that the fruit is encrusted with caramelized
sugar. For the best flavour, serve fresh-fruit cakes straight from the oven or
while still warm.
Nuts
A wide variety of nuts is now available from grocers and supermarkets,
though health-food shops usually have the biggest choice. Nuts are good
value, delicious and an important ingredient in many cakes, biscuits and
23. [23]
cookies imparting both flavour and texture. A further virtue is their fat
content, which keeps cakes fresh. But this also means that nuts should stored
in the freezer and not at room temperature, to prevent deterioration. Whole
nuts are usually cheaper and retain their taste, but if time is short, buy them
already prepared for a recipe.
Almonds
Almonds are the most versatile nuts in baking, either whole, halved, chopped,
slivered or ground.
To blanch almonds: tip the shelled nuts, still in their brown skins, into a
saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, pour off the
brown liquid and cover again with cold water. When cool enough
to handle, slip the brown skins from each almond and discard. Dry
the nuts on kitchen paper.
To halve almonds: cut whole freshly blanched almonds in half by sliding a
small knife into the side of each nut to separate it.
To sliver almonds: cut each freshly blanched almond half into three or four
long slim shreds.
To chop almonds: allow the blanched and halved nuts to dry, either on
kitchen paper in the sun or in a warm oven. Then chop them with
a knife on a wooden board, or use a Zyliss hand-held chopper. The
quickest method is to chop the almonds to the grade you require
in a food processor.
To toast almonds: spread either whole or halved blanched almonds in a
single layer on a baking sheet and place under a hot grill. Watch
them like a hawk – as soon as they are beginning to change to
an appetizing brown, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Toasted almonds are used whole or chopped in recipes and for cake
decoration.
Flaked almonds are blanched, then cut into very thin slices. This is tricky
to do at home, and it’s usually easier and quicker to buy them
already prepared.
Ground almonds are made at home by grinding dry blanched almonds
– adding a spoonful of cornflour helps – in a processor until the
24. [24]
’
mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Ready-prepared ground
almonds are also widely available in supermarkets.
Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts are the next most popular nuts in baking. Again, I buy these whole
but still in their shiny brown skins.
To blanch and toast hazelnuts: this intensifies the flavour of the nuts and also
removes their papery skin. Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on
a baking sheet and toast under a hot grill until they turn a caramel
brown. Remove from the heat and tip the nuts into a clean teacloth,
wrap the cloth over the nuts and rub off the outer covering with
your fingers. Ideally, do this out-of-doors where the papery skin can
blow away in a breeze. Sort out the whole nuts and set aside to cool.
Halved hazelnuts are made by cutting the nuts in half with a sharp knife.
Chopped hazelnuts are produced in the same way as for almonds.
Ground hazelnuts are produced in the same way as ground almonds.
Walnuts
Walnuts can be bought shelled and halved or, more cheaply, in broken pieces.
Other nuts that appear in my recipes are pine nuts – these are toasted in the
same way as almonds – pecans, pistachios, cashews, peanuts, coconut, Brazil
and macadamia nuts.
Chocolate
For the best flavour in baking, use the highest quality chocolate you can
afford. I prefer to use dark chocolate with – cocoa solids – the
proportion is stated on the label – which has a more intense flavour than
chocolate with a smaller proportion. Store chocolate in a cold, dry place but
not the refrigerator. Which brand you use will depend on personal preference
and the particular recipe involved. I normally use bars of organic Green &
Black’s Maya Gold.
Chocolate chips are now available in dark and milk versions, and even in
white chocolate which is not a true chocolate. Alternatively, you can grate or
chop bar chocolate to make home-made chocolate chips.
25. [25]
Chocolate melts easily when hot: break the chocolate into pieces in a
heat-proof bowl and place in a hot oven until liquid. Alternatively, melt the
chocolate by placing the bowl over simmering water, or use a microwave
oven, making sure that the dish is suitable. As a last resort, and only for
a small quantity of chocolate, melt it with a hand-held hair-dryer on the
highest setting.
Cocoa powder
In some chocolate cake mixtures, cocoa powder is used instead of melted
chocolate. To retain moistness in a baked cake, cocoa powder usually replaces
some of the flour in the recipe. Cocoa powder is added to a cake mixture either
by sieving it with the flour or other dry ingredients, or by first blending the
powder with hot water to make a smooth paste. I prefer dark cocoa powder
with an intense flavour of chocolate, such as Green & Black’s organic cocoa.
Coffee
Coffee is one of the most seductive flavours in baking. When it is used to
flavour a cake mixture, the taste withstands the heat of the oven surprisingly
well.Buttheflavourisatitsbestwhencoffeeisfreshlybrewedandincorporated
in French butter cream, glacé icing and whipped dairy cream. Either espresso
coffee or double-strength filter coffee produces the finest flavour. Alternatively,
infuse fresh ground coffee in milk or cream over low heat for – minutes, set
aside until cool then strain through a fine mesh. Occasionally, ground coffee
itself can be used to flavour a mixture, but if you are not a coffee drinker it
may be that instant coffee powder or liquid coffee essence is more convenient
for you to use, though the taste is not quite as rich. In baking, the flavour of
coffee combines well with either vanilla or chocolate.
Flavourings, essences and extracts
Whenever possible I prefer to use the actual flavouring: for instance, the
zest of an orange or lemon, or a purée of fresh fruit such as raspberries or
blackcurrant, rather than a chemical replacement. The only essence or extract
I buy is Bitter Almond – look for the best quality since just a drop or two are
needed each time.
26. [26]
’
Vanilla pods
Vanilla pods are now widely available. The best quality are lustrous, dark
brown and pliable. The pod needs to be cut open lengthways with a sharp
knife or scissors then scraped to extract the tiny aromatic seeds. A more
delicate flavour is obtained by infusing the whole pod in hot milk or cream
– the pod can be wiped dry and reused. It’s also worth looking for a jar of
finely powdered vanilla pod from Italy for adding to a cake mixture and for
sprinkling over icing or frosting.
Vanilla essence
If you are going to use vanilla essence in a recipe, either buy a high-quality
vanilla extract or make your own vanilla essence as described on page .
Vanilla sugar
To make vanilla sugar, cut open a vanilla pod and use the tip of a teaspoon
to scrape out some of the seeds. Snip the pod into pieces and place in a large
lidded jar with the vanilla seeds. Fill the jar with caster sugar and seal the top
firmly. Store in a warm dark place and shake the jar from time to time to
distribute the vanilla scent. Top up the jar with sugar as necessary.
Food colourings
Small bottles of food colours are occasionally useful in baking. The liquid is
usually quite strong and is best added to a mixture cautiously, drop by drop
from the end of a skewer. Stir in each drop before adding another. To obtain
all seven colours of the rainbow you need only red, yellow and blue: red and
yellow make orange, blue and yellow make green, red and blue make violet,
and blue and violet make indigo.
Gelatine
This is a setting agent produced from animal bones, available as a granulated
powder or in clear perforated sheets. Both forms are usually softened in a
little warm water before being dissolved in a warm liquid. Due to its lack
of flavour, I prefer sheet gelatine. The vegetarian alternative to gelatine is
agar-agar made from seaweed. To obtain a satisfactory result with any setting
agent, it is advisable to follow the instructions on the packet.
27. [27]
BAKING EQUIPMENT
Given the daunting amount of baking equipment on show in kitchenware
shops these days, it’s useful to know which items are really essential. And
remember that you can start with only a few items and gradually add others
as you need them. Even so, when necessary one can improvise – I’ve mixed a
cake in a saucepan and baked it in a roasting pan, and it was fine. However,
part of the pleasure in cake-making is using utensils specially designed for
the purpose. And if you buy the best quality equipment you can afford, it
represents a sound investment that should last for many years.
Mixing bowls
It helps to have at least three bowls of different sizes that stack inside each
other. I prefer clear, heat-proof glass because it’s scratch-resistant, can be
warmed in the oven, and the mixture is visible through the side of the bowl.
Wooden spoons
You can’t have too many smooth, birch-wood spoons. Even their handles are
useful, for example when making brandy snaps.
Flexible spatulas
Two or three plastic or rubber spatulas are indispensable for scraping cake
mixture and icing from bowls.
Palette knife
A stainless steel palette knife with cm/ in. blade is invaluable, plus a
smaller version with a cm/ in. blade.
Whisks
One large and one small stainless steel balloon whisk are excellent not only
for whisking mixtures by hand but also for folding one mixture into another
28. [28]
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or for adding sieved flour to a mixture. Egg whites are traditionally whisked
by hand in a copper bowl, but it takes time and energy, even though the
resulting foam is higher and more stable than by any other method. Normally,
I use a hand-turned egg beater, or a hand-held electric beater with whisking
blades, for this task.
Weighing scales
Faulty scales are a pest and probably cause more spoiled cakes than an unre-
liable oven. Successful baking depends upon accuracy and if you wish to repeat
your triumphs, and also try new recipes, it is essential to measure quantities
correctly. I prefer balance scales to spring ones. Dependable and easy to use,
balance scales can be used with both metric and imperial measures – extra sets
can be bought separately if need be. And the double pans make it simple to
measure equal weights. For dry ingredients, I usually place a sheet of kitchen
paper in the measuring pan in order to transfer its contents easily and to save
on the washing up. Balance scales are not cheap but they last a lifetime.
Measuring jugs and spoons
For measuring liquids, one or two clear, heat-proof glass jugs are needed with
both metric and imperial scales marked on the side. If one of the jugs is wide
rather than tall, it can double as a mixing bowl. Sets of plastic measuring
spoons are cheap and reliable. For all ingredients, a spoonful is measured level
unless stated otherwise.
Mixers and processors
When I ran my cake stall I invested in two Kenwood mixers and they are
still going strong. Years ago, the mixing bowls were made of white glass. I
remember the disastrous day when I broke one. With cake orders piling up, I
had to dash into Exeter to buy another. Fortunately, the bowls are now made
from plastic or stainless steel. If you bake a great many cakes, a food mixer with
stand, and possibly a bowl cover, is indispensable – the machine works away
while you’re doing something else. On the other hand, for many households a
hand-held electric mixer with one or two sets of blades is perfectly adequate.
Although I don’t use a food processor to mix cakes, it can be useful for
making some kinds of pastry and for chopping ingredients such as nuts,
29. [29]
chocolate, and dried fruit. Small quantities of nuts can be chopped in a Zyliss
hand-held chopper.
Sieves
A stainless steel sieve with fine mesh is used for adding air to flour, and to
remove lumps from icing and muscovado sugars – spoon the sugar into
the sieve and stir it with a wooden spoon, pressing down to push the sugar
through the mesh. Discard any lumps that refuse to be flattened. For small
amounts of fresh fruit such as raspberries I use a sieve rather than a blender
or processor to produce a purée, and it’s simple to press a few tablespoons of
jam through a sieve to make a smooth mixture for brushing over a cake. A
fine-mesh sieve is required when dredging caster sugar or dusting a cake with
icing sugar: spoon a little sugar into the sieve and tap the side with your hand
or the spoon to produce a light layer as you move it across the cake.
Kitchen timer
A timer helps you to bake accurately again and again. And although you may
have a timer on your cooker, if you leave the kitchen while a cake is baking
you’ll probably need a portable -minute timer – preferably with a loud ring!
Baking tins
Dedicated cake-makers acquire cake tins, lots of them. A fluted brioche tin
or a kugelhopf mould is both a utensil and a beautiful object, worthy of
display in any kitchen. Many of my most handsome tins are antique, but it
is my modern ones that are in frequent use. I recommend heavy-grade tins
(sometimes described as commercial-quality on the label). This avoids any
buckling in the heat of the oven and ensures an even golden crust. Almost all
cake tins are now Teflon-coated and non-stick. It is also best to look for those
with a removeable base or a spring-clip for the side wall. These features make
removing the cake a simple operation while ensuring it stays upright.
The latest cake moulds are pliable and made from silicone. These cake
moulds need to rest on a baking tray in the oven: this helps to transmit the
heat to the mould and makes handling easier. Before using for the first time,
wash and dry the mould and brush a thin coat of sunflower oil over the inside.
What kind of cake tins you need, and how many, depends on your
30. [30]
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baking preference. If you make only shortbread biscuits and cup cakes, a
couple of baking sheets and some patty tins will suffice. Or if sponge cakes
are your speciality, sets of shallow sandwich cake tins with sloping sides are
indispensable.
Some of my cake tins have been bought abroad – tiny patty tins known as
Pixie cake tins from America, moules à manqué from France with sloping sides
that flatter a cake and make decorating it far easier, and prettily-shaped ring
tins from Portugal and Germany – all of them practical holiday mementos.
To prepare the recipes in this book I have used the most popular and easily
available shapes and sizes of cake tin. The majority of my recipes are baked in
round tins, which are measured by their diameter or the widest distance from
rim to rim. So a round cake tin is described, for example, as cm/ in. tin –
lined. Other cake tins are specified according to their shape – square, oblong
and so on. Square cake tins are measured by the length on one side.
Sponge sandwich tins, cm/ in., cm/ in., cm/ in., . cm/ in.
Round and square cake tins, ideally with spring-clip or detachable base,
cm/ in., cm/ in., cm/ in.
Ring tins, cm/ in., – cm/– in., cm/ in.
Baking sheets, x cm/ x in.
Swiss roll tin, x cm/ x in.
Shallow baking tins, – cm/– in x – cm/ x in., cm/ in
x – cm/– in.
Loaf tins, . kg/ lb, kg/ lb.
Tart tins , cm/ in., cm/ in, cm/ in.
Patty or bun tin, tray of x cm/½ in. cake cups.
Muffin tin, tray of small or large sized muffin cups.
Madeleine tin, tray of shell-shape cups.
For the best result, it is, of course, sensible to use the size of tin specified in
a recipe. But bear in mind that modifications can sometimes be made by
replacing one size with another. What usually matters is that the capacity of
the tin remains the same, though you may have to adjust the baking time to
compensate for a different depth of mixture. To check the capacity or volume
of a tin, fill with cold water and pour into a measuring jug.
31. [31]
Baking paper and liners
Silicone baking paper or parchment is a brilliant invention that makes life
easier for cake-makers. Buy it in rolls and cut as needed for lining cake tins
and baking sheets. When making several cakes of the same size, fold the
paper into layers and cut once to produce multiple liners. Smear small dabs of
butter on the cake tin to hold the paper in place, drop the paper liner in place
and smooth it out. It’s also worth looking out for packets of baking paper,
pre-cut to size for lining the base and sides of cake tins. A useful trick when
using a cake tin without a loose base or a spring-clip side is to place two long
strips of baking paper, about cm/ in. wide, at right angles to each other
across the base of the cake tin so that the ends protrude above the sides and
act as handles when lifting out the baked cake. This avoids having to turn the
cake upside down when removing it from the tin.
For cake-stall bakers, fluted paper cases are also available for round and
rectangular cakes. Cup cakes and fairy cakes are neater and quicker to produce
with small fluted paper cases, either plain, patterned or in coloured foil.
Baking sheets and cake tins can also be lined with non-stick baking fabric
which is great boon for the busy baker. Not as flexible as baking paper but
far more durable – wiped clean after use and stored flat, this material will last
years.
Another useful item when making cream- or mousse-filled cakes and
gâteaux is a strip of rigid, clear plastic film – the kind used with an overhead
projector – to form an easy-wipe case or mould. Cut the sponge cake base
to your desired size and place on a flat cake board, wrap the plastic film strip
around the cake to provide a vertical support for the cake, overlap the ends
and secure with tape. Then fill accordingly. Chill the cake until the cream is
set, then carefully remove the plastic strip.
Griddle
A flat metal griddle is useful if you often make Scotch pancakes and Welsh
cakes, though a wide, heavy-based frying or pancake pan works equally well.
Pastry board
If need be, pastry can be rolled out on a clean, laminate work surface – and
there are even rectangular plastic or fabric covers to prevent the dough from
32. [32]
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sticking, if you wish. But I prefer to use a large wooden board that is reserved
for pastry. Not only is wood a sympathetic surface to work on; the board is
portable, enabling you to move or turn it with the rolled out pastry in place.
A handy tip is to mark a measuring scale down one or two sides of the board
with an indelible pen. This makes checking the size of a cake tin, for instance,
quick and easy. And, if you bake lots of tarts and pies, marking a series of
concentric circles in the centre of the board to act as a guide saves time when
rolling out pastry to specific sizes.
Rolling pin
Again, I prefer wooden rolling pins, either a long solid cylinder or one with a
rotating handle – it’s a matter of which kind you find most comfortable to use.
Pastry cutters
I confess to owning far more pastry and cookie cutters than anyone could
ever need in a domestic kitchen. All of them, though, are hugely popular with
my grandchildren when we make pastry, biscuits, and marzipan together.
However, the ones I use most often are two sets of circular cutters – one
fluted, the other plain – in different sizes, for making scones, biscuits, cookies
and tarts. My French friends use an upturned wine glass as a pastry cutter,
but a metal shape works better and quicker. If you bake for or with children,
then a gingerbread man, possibly a Paddington Bear, and an assortment of
Christmas cutters are also a good idea.
Pastry brush
Use either a nylon bristle pastry brush from a kitchenware shop, or a brand-
new paint brush, for applying a thin layer of beaten egg or milk to pastry, or
for brushing sieved jam or jelly over a cake.
Wooden or plastic ruler
A cheap wooden or plastic ruler is needed for measuring pastry and cakes –
and for checking the sizes of rolled-out pastry, biscuit dough and cake tins.
Cooling rack
An essential item, so that cakes can cool with air circulating around them –
33. [33]
two racks are ideal so that you can turn the cake out of the tin on to one, then
use the other to turn it right way up.
Icing set and piping-bags
A stainless steel or plastic icing-tube set with nozzles in different patterns
is used for delicate work when writing names or a message on a cake with
royal icing and glacé icing. Larger nylon piping-bags with a range of screw-
in nozzles are more versatile and are useful for piping éclairs, meringues,
whipped cream and butter icing.
Oven glove, cloth and apron
This is vital protective clothing – and if you need to reach into the back of
the oven, do protect bare arms by covering them with a dry cloth or wear a
long-sleeved shirt. And always handle hot objects with a dry cloth, never a
wet one, since dry fabric provides better insulation.
Oven thermometer
Even though your oven may have its own thermometer, it may not be accurate
or the temperature may vary depending on the position of the shelves. A good
oven thermometer can offer reassurance. Placed on the baking shelf, it will
indicate the actual temperature that your oven has reached at that point and
show any changes during the baking time, enabling you to make a correct
judgement of when a cake is baked.
Sugar thermometer
Essential for checking the temperature of a boiled sugar syrup, and the
thermometer is also useful when making jam. A good sugar thermometer has
a clearly marked scale which is easy to read at a glance.
Useful temperatures when making a sugar syrup:
Short thread, °C/°F.
Soft ball, °C/°F.
Firm ball, °C/°F.
Hard ball, °C/°F.
Caramel, °C/°F.
34. [34]
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Tablespoon, knife, fork and teaspoon
It saves time if you set aside some cutlery to be used only for baking; other
useful items are a finely serrated bread knife for cutting a cake into layers and
a sharp knife with a long blade for cutting pastry dough and for dividing
baked cakes into neat portions.
Wooden or metal skewer
A slim wooden brochette stick or flat metal skewer is helpful when testing
whether a cake is correctly baked. Carefully lower the clean, dry skewer into
the centre of the cake and remove it slowly. If cake mixture adheres to the
skewer, bake the cake for longer. If the skewer comes out clean then the cake
is cooked.
Grater and zester
A stainless steel box grater is needed for removing the oily aromatic peel,
or zest, of citrus fruit in narrow short pieces. A citrus zester enables you to
remove long slim shreds of lemon and orange peel, which can be blanched
then dredged with caster sugar for decorating a cake.
Lemon squeezer
A traditional lemon squeezer, made in glass, china, stainless steel or plastic
with strainer and pouring dish, catches the juice of all kinds of citrus fruit.
Oven
The conventional enclosed oven with thermostat, heated by electricity, gas or
solid fuel, is a fairly recent introduction in the history of baking. For centuries
cooks baked over an open fire or in the slowly falling heat of a clay or stone
bread oven. In Britain, the industrial revolution brought large-scale smelting
and cheaper iron. By the time of Isabella Beeton in the nineteenth century,
black cast-iron stoves and cookers equipped with one or even two ovens were
being installed in domestic kitchens. Although still heated by burning coal,
wood or peat and vulnerable to the vagaries of the wind in the chimney, a
metal oven with a hinged door presented new possibilities to the home cook.
A wide range of cakes, biscuits, buns and pastries were now achievable and
recipe books of the time reflect this shift in the scope of domestic baking.
35. [35]
However, for all the labour-saving advantage of the modern oven, each
appliance has its own characteristics such as speed of heating and temperature
profile, even hot or cold spots. Although you gradually acquire a sound
working knowledge of your own oven and its foibles, it’s a wise cook that
uses an oven thermometer as well as the thermostat gauge fitted to the outside
of the door to verify the oven temperature.
My own preferred oven is electric, with heating elements fitted into the
sides, or the top and floor, and equipped with a fan that can be brought into
use when required. A fan oven distributes the heat more evenly and allows
you to lower the temperature setting by – degrees from that stated in
the recipe. Furthermore, the baking time is often reduced by – minutes in
each hour. That said, don’t forget that however reliable your recipe, a watchful
eye is helped by an oven light, a glass oven door, and a slim wooden skewer
as aids to judging when a cake is baked to perfection.
Kitchen notebook
A notebook works better than odd scraps of paper for jotting down ideas,
recipe adaptations and baking tips, and it can provide a satisfying record of
your work.
Cookery bookstand
Not essential to baking, but this is an item that makes life a little easier and also
frees some of the work surface. Though, of course, whether placed vertical or
horizontal, a good cookery book will inevitably reveal the honourable stains
of frequent use and its own store of memories.
Serving plates
Large cakes served at home need a flat surface for cutting neatly with the
minimum of wasted crumbs, so it’s worth looking out for flat cake plates
in charity shops. Long narrow plates are perfect for Swiss rolls, biscuits
and cookies. Plain cakes look fine on a wooden bread board, but layered
confections and iced cakes deserve a flat cake plate with a stand. The renewed
enthusiasm for cakes has prompted the production of copies of Victorian
glass and china cake stands which are now widely available.
36. [36]
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME
What to bake? Requests from family and friends, a special occasion like a
birthday or anniversary, or just afternoon tea on a wintry weekend, all prompt
us towards particular treats. Many home bakers have their own specialities
which everyone enjoys – for who makes a cake just for themselves? It’s a
generous act to spend time in the kitchen producing a cake that will bring
pleasure to others. These notes have as much relevance for the family cake-
maker as they do for someone who might be tempted to bake cakes for sale
to the general public, as described in the next section.
You’ll already know how much time you have – hour, hours, all day
or evening – to devote to mixing and baking. Remember, though, that while
scones and pancakes can be turned out in minutes, having to stay awake
while a rich fruit cake slowly cooks can be tiresome. So, even before turning
on the oven, read the recipe carefully, if in doubt read it again, then check
that you have all the ingredients, equipment and time required.
Ideally, I prefer not to bake just one cake at a time. It’s only sensible to
utilize the heat and space of the oven by sliding in an extra tray of flapjack
or a few cup cakes. And if you plan to bake for some hours, it’s often a good
idea to prepare several sheets of cookie or biscuit mixture that won’t spoil
while waiting for oven space. To avoid wasting the heat of an empty oven,
I recommend a roll of ready-to-bake refrigerator cookie mixture (see p. )
that can be sliced on to a baking sheet and popped into the oven before you
can say Eliza Acton.
Cakes not needed on baking day can easily be stored: rich fruit cakes should
be wrapped in greaseproof paper and placed in a lidded plastic container. If
you want to store the fruit cake for some weeks, its flavour is enhanced if
you make a few small holes in the base and dribble in a tablespoon or so of
brandy, sherry or whisky, repeating the procedure every fortnight.
Sponge cakes and other cakes which stale quickly are best stored in the
freezer in a plastic box or sealed bag. Defrost iced and cream-filled cakes in
the fridge until ready to serve.
37. [37]
Tarts and cup cakes should also be frozen to maintain their newly-baked
flavour – I find these store well if arranged in layers separated by greaseproof
paper in lidded plastic boxes.
Meringues will keep quite well for a week or so in an air-tight container in
a cool place, though cream-filled meringues and meringue layer cakes need to
be stored in the freezer.
An orderly kitchen is clearly an advantage when cooking – having to
rummage through drawers looking for a particular implement is tedious and
time-consuming, and I speak as an experienced rummager. If, however, you
are baking to supply a cake stall then a well-organized kitchen is essential:
plenty of work surface is vital, open shelving is often more convenient than
cupboards, jugs of wooden spoons and implements make each one easy to
grab, and all ingredients and equipment should be to hand and arranged in a
logical sequence to help you save time. Many experienced chefs work in quite
small spaces and I now understand why.
If possible, it makes sense to minimize the time spent shopping for supplies,
so bulk-buying is an advantage and large catering packs can be useful. Free
delivery is an offer I never refuse.
Baking cakes all day and everyday calls for a disciplined approach: take
regular rest times and don’t work too late – better to rise early and work more
effectively with fewer mistakes.
Batch baking where you mix and bake several of the same cake at one time
is both efficient and economical, though you may need to acquire more cake
tins. If you are baking to sell, the results must be consistent – each cake of
the same type should be the same size and weight. This is not as difficult as it
sounds. Just keep to the recipe, weigh everything carefully, and use identical
tins. Mix the ingredients in a really large bowl then spoon it into the prepared
cake tins. Check the weight of each filled cake tin by placing it on the scales
and adjust accordingly by adding or removing some of the mixture. Keep a
record of the weight of each cake tin plus mixture in your notebook or against
the recipe – this saves time when you make the next batch. And jot down
the larger quantities of ingredients needed to mix several cakes at the same
time in a column beside the original recipe – this helps to prevent simple
arithmetical mistakes in the future.
Recipes should list the ingredients in the order of use in the method,
38. [38]
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but to save time I usually line the scale pan with a sheet of kitchen paper
which cuts down the washing up, then I weigh a dry ingredient such as caster
sugar, adding a messy ingredient like butter or syrup on top – adjusting the
combined weight accordingly. Then whoosh, both ingredients are tipped into
the mixing bowl together. Similarly, it’s sometimes easier to put, for instance,
a tin of treacle or cocoa on the scales, note the weight, and spoon out what
you need until the weight has fallen by the required amount.
Deciding which recipes save you most time depends on the method
involved and whether any filling or frosting is called for – cake decoration,
though often enjoyable to do, should be quick if you are baking to sell your
produce. Cakes that depend on rubbing in and quick-mix methods plainly
save time and are usually dependable. And if you are running a cake stall you
don’t want baking failures – even though they disappear fast when hungry
children are around.
Specially-shaped cakes, such as those cut into a letter or numeral, usually
produce perfectly edible cake trimmings. These should be saved in a plastic
bag in the freezer for adding to a trifle or for turning into cake crumbs. Or
try sprinkling with rum and spooning the mixture into small chocolate cases
(see the recipe for Chocolate Dreams on page and substitute the crumbs
for the made-to-order sponge mixture). And don’t discard small amounts of
surplus icing and frosting – use them to sandwich biscuits or sweeten stewed
fruit and baked puddings.
I always start a baking session with the cakes that need the highest tem-
perature and the shortest baking time, such as scones, continue with sponge
cakes and teabreads, and finish with fruit cakes and meringues, which need
both a lower temperature and a longer time yet do not require your constant
presence in the kitchen.
Always have a kitchen notebook to hand, for jotting down baking times
and temperatures of cakes and biscuits, or variations or changes that have
improved the original recipe. One always hopes to remember these things,
but on a busy day other priorities soon crowd them out of the memory.
Finally, after all your hard work it’s important to keep your cakes looking
their best as they travel to market: all your baked goods should be carefully
wrapped and placed in crush-proof trays or containers that ideally are
stackable and easy to carry, then stored in a cold, dry place until required.
39. [39]
SELLING CAKES
I began to sell cakes when I was very young, helping my mother with cake
stalls at fund-raising events such as school fêtes, church bazaars, and charity
sales. We sold not only her own baking but also other people’s. You probably
know how popular home-made cakes are and have seen how quickly the stall
sells out at these functions.
So when I launched my own cake stall at Tiverton Pannier Market in
Devon, I felt confident that as long as I produced high-quality home-baked
cakes and biscuits at the right price they would sell. When I told my mother
of the proposed project, she was immediately enthusiastic and offered to help,
baking her own contribution of Harvest Cake, Congress Tarts and a range of
pies – some of them, it turned out, still warm from the oven.
Sure enough, just as I’d hoped, the cake stall was an immediate success
and I soon discovered we could hardly keep up with demand. It may be that
even if every local market had a reputable home-baking stall, the call for good
cakes would still not be satisfied. And so, a generation after I wrote my first
book, Cake Stall (published in ), there still appears to be great scope for
a cake stall of your own.
In some parts of the country, the Women’s Institute run their Country
Market stalls selling home-baked cakes, jam and preserves. What a blessing
these enterprises are, with their freshly laid eggs, vegetables and bunches of
garden flowers brought into the market that morning by a band of keen
volunteers! Any members of the Women’s Institute looking for new recipes
for their stalls will find lots of ideas in this book.
If, though, you plan to launch a cake stall in your own name, it is
important to set about it the right way. You’ll certainly need to know the legal
position involved in producing food at home for selling to the general public.
A telephone call to your local environmental health officer is essential. This
department will be able to advise you on your scheme, and provide up-to-
40. [40]
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date information on the requirements under the most recent Food and Drugs
Act. Environmental health officers can offer practical information which it
would be foolish to ignore, and an official visit to your premises can result in
much helpful advice. To conform with trading standards regulations, every
cake or packet of biscuits must be labelled with your name and address or
contact details, the ‘best before’ date or, if the cake contains fresh cream, the
‘use by’ date, and the ingredients must be listed in descending order. You will
also need to take out comprehensive insurance and to keep accurate records
of your finances.
Once you have established that your home is an acceptable workplace
and completed the necessary paperwork, it is then a matter of considering
where to sell your cakes. If you are principally interested in baking to raise
funds for charity – and every good cause needs support – then the location
of the stall is often already decided, A hospital’s League of Friends normally
sells its cakes near the entrance to the building itself, whereas the Macmillan
Cancer Charity coffee mornings are usually held in private houses. Other
fund-raising events happen in school halls, the village square or even in a busy
street on a Saturday morning. But if you plan to raise funds for yourself by
trading at a profit, then you need to choose the ideal location. If you live on
a farm it may be possible to sell at the farm gate. Or perhaps a mobile cake
stall run from a small van would be feasible.
The simplest solution may be to take advantage of your local market, but
first pay a visit to chat to the stallholders. I chose the large covered market at
Tiverton. This fine building with its double hall is run by the local council
and the market superintendent was most helpful: he told me which days of
the week the market functioned and the daily charge for a table of a certain
size. He even suggested an advantageous position for it! I was lucky that
Tiverton had a vacancy, since I knew that some markets had long waiting
lists. If you have a choice between a site in the open air or one indoors, then I
would advise the latter – simply to be protected from the wind and rain and
to keep your cakes looking pristine. That said, the outdoor Gloucester Green
market in Oxford, where I now live, offers a flourishing weekly outlet at a
lower cost per day per stall than in the well-known Covered Market nearby
with its lock-up shops and kiosks open six days a week.
Another excellent development since I wrote the first Cake Stall is the
41. [41]
arrival of farmers’ markets held in towns, villages and cities all over the
country. Now numbering upwards of five hundred, more information can
be found at www.farmersmarkets.net. You can also consult www.lfm.org.
uk for farmers’ markets in London. Depending on local demand, farmers’
markets are held weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Along with others in the
Thames Valley, Oxford’s farmers’ market, held fortnightly in Gloucester
Green, is administered by a local association that readily provides informa-
tion and advice on how to take part. One of the requirements of a farmers’
market is that the produce comes from the locality – usually within a radius
of miles.
My Tiverton cake stall was twelve miles from my kitchen and it usually
took half an hour to get there along the narrow Devon lanes. I still remember
the excitement of setting out with my small yellow car crammed with goodies,
many of them ordered a week earlier by regular customers. And I also recall
the pleasure of driving home, fairly tired but with all the cakes sold, the
money jingling in the cash-box.
Slow Food markets have also recently appeared as a variant on a farmers’
market. Again, these markets are held in public places such as city streets and
squares. The Topsham Slow Food Market, near Exeter, is a fine example: in
the village hall there are stalls selling local food – meat, cheese, bread, pies
and cakes, with tastings and samples available and even some chairs with
tables for visitors to eat a light meal or a just gaze at the proceedings. Consult
www.slowfooduk.org for information on your nearest Slow Food market and
your local group.
Food fairs and food festivals also offer possibilities for a cake stall. Though
held less frequently than regular markets, these seasonal events provide an
excellent shop window for your particular baking speciality. Information
about local food fairs can be found at tourist offices and on the events pages
of newspapers and food magazines. Websites such as Henrietta Green’s Food-
LoversBritain.com ares full of valuable details on local foods and fairs.
When I gave up myTiverton market stall, a friend in the village took it over.
She was so successful that after a few years, she rented premises in the town
and opened a tea-shop. The back of the shop was fitted with ovens for baking
and the front was filled with polished wooden tables and an assortment of
chairs, where customers enjoyed a pot of tea or coffee along with her freshly-
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baked cakes. Before leaving, many people bought a few more to take home.
All over the country, the traditional English tea-room is flourishing, popular
with people of all ages. And what marks out a good one is the quality of its
baking.
Selling directly to your customers is one of the attractions of running your
own cake stall or tea-shop. Not only do you dispense with an intermediary
– who has to be paid – but you also benefit from your customers’ opinions
and preferences, which enable you to tailor your baking programme to their
requirements. I used to relish the chats with my customers, discussing the
merits of one cake over another or discovering a long-felt want for, say, a
Victorian caraway seed cake or old-fashioned Easter biscuits. Fulfilling these
requests helps to broaden your repertoire.
For those with a passion for baking but not a lot of time, then supplying
cakes to friends and neighbours is also a possibility – not everyone likes or
has time to bake. A small ad in the local paper or post-office will probably
set your phone ringing. And, of course, nothing beats a recommendation by
word of mouth.
If, though, you prefer to concentrate on the baking rather than the
selling, then supplying your cakes to a retail outlet might well appeal. A local
restaurant or delicatessen may be interested in your high-quality home-baked
cakes – usually the best way of initiating such a scheme is by bringing in some
tempting samples.
Nowadays it’s possible to run a cake business via the internet. An attractive
website with photographs of your cakes and cookies, and details of a reliable
mode of delivery, could be a perfect way in which to run a cake stall from
home. If you do this, you may decide to specialize in fruit cakes or rich choco-
late cakes to give yourself a market edge. Or you could offer a baking version
of the vegetable-box scheme, with a selection of cakes, biscuits, cookies and
scones. Some of my Tiverton customers who lived a couple of hours from
the market would buy a supply of cakes and store half of them in the freezer,
returning two or three weeks later when they’d all been eaten.
Whatever method you adopt for selling your cakes, how you present
them is of cardinal importance. All the cakes and biscuits must be wrapped
attractively – clear cellophane is ideal, secured with ribbon or raffia. Cake
boxes (check in Yellow Pages for a local supplier) are useful for delicate
43. [43]
gâteaux and highly decorated cakes since they protect them while travelling.
Adopt a particular colour scheme so that your cake wrapping is readily identi-
fiable. I used a pretty pink and white Liberty fabric to cover the stall and for
our aprons, continuing the pink and white theme through to the packaging
with white boxes and pink ribbon and paper string. Grander cakes and those
intended as gifts should be wrapped luxuriously in see-through film with
plenty of billowing ribbons and a small card. Cake boards, from kitchenware
shops and some stationers, help to keep a cake in place and they make
wrapping it easier. Baking cakes in paper cases – both large and small – not
only keeps a cake fresh but also helps when transporting them. And it cuts
down on the washing up of cake tins – hardly the most glamorous task.
Since a cake stall attracts a wide range of customers, another popular idea
is to offer a selection of small cakes on paper plates – large and small sizes.
Square and rectangular cakes are easily cut into portions; arrange a few on
a plate with a couple of cup cakes and cookies or scones and wrap in food
film. Elderly people and those living alone particularly like this idea since it
provides variety. And remember to offer single portions of cake, individual
cup cakes, separate gingerbread people, or coconut macaroons that even
children can afford.
When it comes to deciding what to charge for your cakes, I found a fairly
reliable guide was to check the prices of the best-quality manufactured cakes
on offer and charge at least that price and preferably rather more. After all,
your cakes should be better in every way, freshly baked at home with the
highest quality ingredients, often to recipes that are unusual and exclusive or
are not viable for a commercial bakery.
If you are selling cakes for charity it is possible to charge a higher price
than normal, since the proceeds go to a good cause. It’s worth explaining this
to your customers or to have a sign saying so, pointing out that you and all
your contributors have donated their time and materials so that the stall’s
total takings go straight to the charity in question. Once people understand
this, they are then often wonderfully generous.
Every week on my cake stall I would introduce new kinds of cake and
different biscuits to give variety, offering samples for tasting. And as the
seasons and festivals arrived throughout the year, the baking reflected them:
Simnel Cakes for Easter, fresh fruit cakes and open tarts during the summer,
44. [44]
’
while in December the stall was decorated with greenery and ribbon as a
backdrop to the joys and excitement of Christmas baking – brandy snaps
and mince pies, rich fruit cakes and chocolate logs or Bûches de Noël were
available. I like baking a very wide range of cakes but I would advise anyone
with a cake stall to bake the particular cakes they most enjoy. Not only will
you put your heart into the task – it then never becomes a chore.
I hope that this book will encourage you to bake a true cornucopia of
cakes, biscuits and cookies, and relish the challenges and pleasures. If your
family and friends are the recipients, how fortunate they are! And if you are
also attracted by the idea of selling your baking, I wish you good luck and
great success in your venture.
46. [46]
. Plain Scones
. Fruit Scones
. Wholemeal Fruit Scones
. Wholemeal Oat Scones
. Wholemeal Pecan Nut Scones
. Savoury Scone Ring
. Scotch Pancakes
. Treacle and Raisin Girdle Scones
. Welsh Teacakes
. Irish Soda Bread
. Date and Walnut Loaf
. Bara Brith
. Celery, Chive and Brazil Nut Tea Bread
. Hazelnut, Cranberry and Banana Loaf
. Devonshire Saffron Bread
. Apéro Cake
. Blueberry or Raspberry Cornmeal Muffins
. Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
. Canadian Crullers
. German Vanilla Waffles
. Chocolate Waffles with Chocolate Sauce
47. [47]
Northern, , male, graduate, stuck in London, seeks clever girl in
similar predicament, brunette, – with good recipe for scones and
life in general. Box No. ...
Private Eye, , advertisement
batch of scones straight from the oven is a tempting – even seductive –
prospect with an appetizing fresh-baked bread aroma, the thin
golden crust hiding the soft creamy crumb inside. Served straight
away with strawberry jam and clotted cream, scones are the stars of the
traditional cream teas of Devon and Cornwall.
I add butter and eggs to my scones, which lighten the mixture and enrich
the flavour. And I prefer to use a small crinkle-edge cutter to produce scones
that are deep enough to be pulled apart or split easily. Although at their best
when freshly baked, scones made a few hours ahead can be revived quite
well in a hot oven. But yesterday’s scones are better halved and toasted, then
spread with sweet butter and jam or jelly.
Originally made on a griddle or hearth-stone using an open fire, scones
are one of the oldest examples of home baking. Some versions of drop scones
such as Welsh teacakes are still baked on a flat metal plate over high heat,
though baking scones in a hot closed oven is an easier alternative.
Teabreads are a splendid example of traditional British baking. The yeast-
leavened type are more often produced by commercial bakers, those made
with baking powder are usually the province of the home baker. Baked in
loaf tins, teabreads are often enriched with sugar, spices, dried fruit or even
chopped nuts. Alan Davidson describes such teabreads as the forerunners of
today’s fruit cakes. A light, rich teabread mixture baked in a round flat shape
is usually known as a teacake.
Unsweetened savoury versions of traditional teabreads are ideal for taking
to a picnic or for adding to a lunch-box when served sliced and spread with
A
48. [48]
’
nut butter or a soft cheese. Extra ingredients can include grated vegetables
and olives. French home bakers have also taken to savoury teabreads, usually
with a batter-base which produces a loaf with a coarser texture. Cut into
narrow fingers and served warm, savoury teabreads go well with an aperitif.
Leisurely weekend breakfasts are the time for muffins and waffles. Tasting
their best when freshly made, these are also good items for children to
prepare, provided help is at hand. Our present-day waffles are related to the
wafers of Chaucer’s time, still made by cooking a mixture of eggs, milk and
flour between two hot metal plates until the mixture has set in the centre
under a crisp golden crust. An electric waffle iron makes producing a basket
of waffles a simple and easy operation.
High-domed, cushiony muffins baked in paper cases and leavened with
baking powder originated in America. Usually sweetened and flavoured with
fruit or nuts such as blueberries and pecans, muffins have become popular in
Britain and are excellent served warm at breakfast and brunch.
49. [49]
, ,
PLAIN SCONES
By some people’s reckoning these are not totally plain scones since I include
butter, sugar and eggs in my recipe. The result, however, is so much more
delicious than the all-too-solid, floury versions often encountered that I’ve
long preferred this version.
Oven: °C/°F/gas mark Baking time: – minutes
Equipment: cm/ in. fluted pastry cutter; baking sheet – lightly floured
Makes: about scones
g/ oz self-raising white flour tsp baking powder
good pinch salt g/½ oz caster sugar g/ oz butter
egg lightly whisked with milk to make ml/ fl oz
glaze: egg yolk blended with a little cream or milk
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the
butter in pieces and rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles
breadcrumbs. Add the egg and milk while mixing with a knife to form a wet,
sticky dough.
Turn the dough on to a well-floured board and knead lightly into a flat,
round shape. Dust a little flour over the dough and pat or gently roll out
until cm/½ in. thick. Dip the pastry cutter into some flour and using a firm
downward movement, cut out as many scones from the dough as you can.
Knead together the trimmings and cut out more circles. Place the scones on
the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with the egg yolk glaze.
Bake in the preheated oven until well risen with a golden-brown crust.
Cool on the baking sheet for minutes then transfer to a cloth-lined plate or
basket and serve while still hot.
51. [70]
. Fat-free Sponge Cake
. Genoese Sponge Cake filled with Lemon Curd
. Victoria Sponge Cake with Passion-fruit Curd
. Quick-mix Victoria Sponge Cake with Mascarpone and Mango
. Quick-mix Chocolate Chip Sponge Cake
. Coffee Swiss Roll filled with Marsala Cream
. Lemon or Orange Drizzle Cake
. Whole-wheat Sponge Cake with Fudge Filling
. Italian Sponge Cake filled with Raspberries and Cream
. Brioche-style Sponge Cake with Sherry Sabayon
. Coffee Cream Sponge Cake
. Angel Cake with St Clement’s Cream
. Chocolate Tipsy Cake
. Battenberg Cake
. Orange Sponge Cake filled with Orange Cointreau Curd
. January Lemon Cake
. Madeira Cake
. Coffee Rum Ring
. Rainbow Ring Cake
. Russian Cake
52. [71]
Whether cake making is to be a handicraft for profit or pleasure, the
aim should be perfection, and a divine discontent cherished until that
end is reached.
Helen Jerome, Concerning Cake Making,
N
othing captures the magic of baking quite so vividly as a sponge
cake. The simple ingredients – eggs and sugar whisked until as light
as snow then dusted with flour, perhaps enriched with a trickle of
melted butter – are transformed in the heat of the oven into a fine textured
cake with a pale amber crust and springy crumb.
When I ran my cake stall, there were more queries about how to make
a good sponge cake than for any other recipe. Small wonder perhaps that
village produce shows still give prizes for the best sponge cake exhibited.
Three types of sponge cake are favoured in the English kitchen:
The Fat-free Sponge Cake is the lightest type because it contains no butter at
all. Whole eggs and sugar are whisked together for several minutes
until pale and foamy. In the past this was done by hand but today
an electric mixer or hand-held electric beater reduces the time and
effort needed for a satisfactory result. When the egg foam is firm
enough for the whisk to leave a trail across the surface, plain flour is
sifted over the top and gently folded in. Then the mixture is poured
into a sponge cake tin and baked.
The Genoese Sponge Cake includes melted butter, which adds flavour to the
cake and improves its moistness and keeping quality. I find that
halving the quantity of butter given for a classic Genoese works
well and makes the mixture easier to handle. Sifted plain flour is
folded into the egg foam alternately with the melted butter, then
the mixture is baked.
53. [72]
’
The Victoria Sponge Cake is a butter-rich mixture with an equal weight of
butter, sugar and flour. This cake is the easiest sponge cake to make
since no whisking is called for. The butter and sugar are blended
together until pale and creamy, then whole eggs are beaten in and
finally sifted plain flour is gently folded into the mixture.
A modern variation of the classic version is the Quick-mixVictoria Sponge Cake
which employs an all-in-one-mix method with softened butter and
self-raising flour. I recommend this cake to novice bakers since it is
easier, speedy and virtually foolproof.
In home-baking the Victoria Sponge Cake is the mother recipe to hundreds
of adaptations. A certain amount of extra flour can be added to the mixture
though this will, of course, affect the flavour of the cake and reduce the fine
springy nature of the crumb in the original recipe. However, the addition of
more flour produces a mixture that will support other ingredients such as
fruit and nuts.
Further variations on all three types of sponge cake are possible if you
separate the eggs, adding the yolks and stiffly whisked egg whites at different
stages. In fact, the egg yolks are omitted altogether in a pure white Angel
Cake while only yolks are included in the mixture for a Golden Cake.
A well-made sponge is the basis of numerous cakes and gâteaux; try adding
lemon or orange zest, or strong black coffee, or use muscovado sugar rather
than golden caster to produce a range of different sponge cakes from the same
basic recipe. Or simply adapt a basic recipe by changing the filling, icing or
frosting of one cake for another to broaden your repertoire.
The aim is to produce a sponge cake with the two elements of the cake and
the filling or frosting in harmony. If, for instance, I plan to use a cake filling
of whipped cream, possibly enlivened with liqueur, I usually prefer to bake a
fat-free sponge cake rather than a Victoria sponge since it is a better foil for
the rich high-fat cream. For a Swiss roll, for example, which contains a high
proportion of filling to cake, the best choice is usually a fat-free sponge cake.
But of course there are always exceptions when, say, a buttery cake supports
an even richer filling and is for serving in small portions at the end of a meal.
54. [73]
FAT-FREE SPONGE CAKE
Possibly the earliest form of sponge cake, known in France as biscuit de Savoie.
At its best when served freshly baked, this cake is popular just sandwiched
with jam and thick cream. Omit the cream if you wish the cake to remain
fat-free.
Oven: °C/°F/gas mark Baking time: – minutes
Equipment: two – cm/–½ in. sponge sandwich tins
– buttered and base-lined
Makes: -portion cake
eggs g/ oz caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence (optional) g/ oz plain flour
filling:
heaped tbs raspberry jam, sieved
ml/ fl oz whipping or double cream tsp caster sugar
Whisk the eggs with the sugar and vanilla essence until thick and foamy and
the whisk leaves a trail over the mixture. This is achieved most easily in a
food mixer or using a hand-held electric beater. If you are making the cake
by hand, using a balloon whisk or an egg beater, it is helpful to place the
mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water while you whisk the mixture,
then remove the bowl from the heat.
Place the flour in a large sieve and tap the side to give a dusting of flour
over the top of the egg foam. Use a balloon whisk to fold in the flour gently.
Repeat until all the flour has been incorporated.
Divide the mixture between the prepared cake tins. Bake in the preheated
oven until the cakes are golden-brown and just starting to shrink from the
tins. Cool the cakes in their tins for minutes then turn out on to a wire rack
and peel off the baking paper.
When the cakes are cold, spread the sieved jam in one layer. Whisk the
cream until thick and glossy and spoon over the jam. Place the other cake on
top and sprinkle with caster sugar. Set the cake in a cool place until ready to
serve.
56. [98]
. Harvest Cake
. Dundee Cake
. Clyst William Barton Cake
. Devon Cider Fruit Cake
. Quick-Mix Glacé Cherry and Almond Cake
. Ring Fruit Cake
. Pineapple Fruit Cake
. Raisin, Almond and Whisky Cake
. Boiled Fruit Cake
. Jonny Ruff Cake
. Spiced Date Loaf
. Orange Raisin Lunch-box Cake
. Wine Cupboard Fruit Cake
. Traditional Strawberry Shortcake
. Gooseberry Kuchen
. Fresh Cherry Cake
. Fig and Nectarine Galette with Raspberry Coulis
. White Peach and Hazelnut Tart
. Quatre-Quarts aux Framboises et aux Abricots
. Cyprus Orange Cake
. Martha’s Banana and Chocolate Chip Cake
. Rhubarb and Kumquat Cake with Rosy Cream
. Pear and Poire William Cake
. Plum and Blackberry Crumble Cake
. Dutch Apple Cake
. Autumn Fruit and Nut Upside-Down Cake
57. [99]
The adjective ‘home-made’ is one which rings of the highest praise
when used in connection with cakes… it conjures up many lovely
pictures in our minds – the wonderful aroma in the kitchen while
baking is in progress, the tea-table laden with good things – from the
oven-fresh scones to the finger of plum cake, and finally the glamour
of icing, and the iced cake.
Margaret Bates, Talking About Cakes,
F
or centuries our fruit cakes have been prepared with dried vine fruits,
usually raisins, sultanas and currants and possibly candied cherries and
citrus peel too. This is the traditional British fruit cake, either dark,
rich and moist such as a Christmas Cake, or lighter in colour and texture,
maybe decorated with a layer of toasted almonds as in a Dundee Cake. The
expense of the ingredients and the time taken to prepare and bake such
cakes have ensured that they have acquired the status of a luxury, reserved
for special occasions such as a marriage, a christening or an anniversary. Part
of the pleasure in eating a slice of rich fruit cake is that it is not an everyday
event.
Less heavily fruited cakes such as a Genoa have long been served through-
out the year – at a weekend tea party or even at the end of lunch. ‘It was
fashionable at one time to have a good sultana cake on the luncheon table and
it was eaten at the end of lunch. This habit still prevails in some old-fashioned
houses in London and in the country,’ wrote Mrs C.F. Leyel in Cakes of
England (). Now that packed lunches have become popular, the custom
of eating a slice of light fruit cake at the end of the meal is returning.
Cold winter days heighten the appeal of cakes made with dried fruits, their
concentrated flavours an enduring reminder of summer harvests. Besides the
well-known and popular dried vine fruits of the past there are now packets of
58. [100]
’
dried pears, peaches, apricots, figs, prunes, banana, blueberries and cranberries
to enliven our winter fruit cakes. Some fruit is labelled pre-soaked or ready-
to-eat and can be added to a cake mixture without further preparation.
Dried fruit should be moist and flavourful, and tasty enough to nibble
on its own. Fruit that has been stored too long tends to dry out and shrink.
If the natural sugar has crystallized, the fruit benefits from a quick rinse in
warm water. Drain well and dry the fruit on kitchen paper before adding to
the mixture. When possible, I like to steep dried fruit in – tablespoons fruit
juice or wine for a few hours. Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for an
hour or two until all the liquid has been absorbed by the fruit. Fresh orange
juice, sherry or a liqueur all work well and contribute a delicate extra flavour
to the cake.
When the warm balmy days of summer arrive, we are lured by the scent
and flavour of oven-hot cakes oozing with juicy fresh fruit. Though apple
cakes have been baked in West Country cider regions for generations, cakes
rich with raspberries, apricots, peaches and figs are a welcome feature of home
baking today. Many of these fresh fruit cakes are adapted from the kuchen and
galettes of continental Europe and they often take the place of the traditional
fruit pies and tarts of the English kitchen.
The simplest version of a fresh fruit cake is made with a layer of sweet
shortcake pastry gently pressed into a shallow tart tin, covered with a thin
layer of ground almonds or hazelnuts and topped with the prepared fresh
fruit – halved figs, sliced nectarines, stoned cherries or whole raspberries.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and bake, then serve straight from the oven
with thick cream or ice-cream. Perfect for pudding or tea-time.
59. [101]
HARVEST CAKE
Ever since I published my mother’s recipe in Cake Stall, readers have written
to tell me that this good, simple fruit cake has become such a firm favourite
that it is now baked and appreciated in many other countries too.
Oven: °C/°F/gas mark Baking time: ½–¾ hours
Equipment: cm/ in. round or square tin – buttered and lined
Makes: -portion cake
g/ oz butter, softened
g/ oz caster or light muscovado sugar
eggs g/ oz plain flour tsp baking powder
g/ lb mixed dried fruit – seedless raisins, sultanas, currants
g/ oz dried or glacé cherries, quartered
g/ oz candied peel, quartered
Measure the ingredients into a warmed mixing bowl and stir well until
you have a stiff mixture. That’s all there is to it. Spoon the mixture into the
prepared cake tin and smooth level.
Bake in the preheated oven until the cake is cooked, when it will be slightly
firm to the touch and a wooden skewer comes out clean from the centre.
Cool in the tin for minutes then turn on to a wire rack to cool. When cold,
wrap in greaseproof paper and keep in an air-tight plastic container in a cold
place until needed. The cake keeps well, in the fridge or the freezer, for –
weeks.
Variation: add ½ tsp mixed spice to the mixture and sprinkle halved or slivered
blanched almonds over the top of the cake before baking.
62. [129]
On those tea-party days, pulling myself up the staircase step by step,
reason and memory already cast off like outer garments, and myself no
more now than the sport of the basest reflexes, I would arrive in the
zone in which the scent of Mrs Swann greeted my nostrils. I felt that
I could already behold the majesty of the chocolate cake, encircled by
plates heaped with little cakes, and by tiny napkins of grey damask
with figures on them, as required by convention but peculiar to the
Swanns.
Marcel Proust, Within a Budding Grove,
lmost everyone likes chocolate cakes; dark intense chocolate cakes,
moist almond-rich ones, coffee-flavoured mocha ones, fudge-like
brownies, sticky cup cakes, triple-chocolate marble cake, even an
orange chocolate biscuit cake that a child can make. This book could, in fact,
have been devoted solely to chocolate cakes.
Apart from the recipe, the most important factor is the quality of the
chocolate itself. Bars with approximately – per cent cocoa solids are now
widely available and which brand you use is a matter of taste, though I usually
prefer the darkest kind that can be sweetened accordingly.
Converting solid chocolate to a liquid for adding to a cake mixture is
done by melting it in a heat-proof bowl that can be scraped clean. If your
oven is already hot, simply break the chocolate into pieces and place the bowl
in the centre of the oven for a few minutes until the chocolate has liquified.
Remove from the heat and allow the chocolate to cool slightly before adding
to the other ingredients. Alternatively, place the bowl of chocolate over a pan
of gently simmering water until melted or heat the chocolate in a microwave
oven for – minutes. Resist the temptation to stir the chocolate while it is
melting because this can cause it to thicken. As it cools, melted chocolate
A
63. [130]
’
sets hard again. When necessary, hot melted chocolate can be thinned with
a modest amount of butter, cream, water or liqueur. This should be done
carefully with the minimum of mixing.
Some cakes call for crushed chocolate rather than melted. Depending on
the hardness of a chocolate bar this can be done by grating – using a metal
box grater, or with a sharp potato peeler. The easiest method is to chop
the broken chocolate pieces in a food processor, though this will result in
a mixture of fine chocolate dust and larger gravel-like pieces – this may be
ideal for some recipes. A low-technology way is to tip broken pieces into a
strong, clear plastic bag before sealing it. Then hammer the pieces with a
rolling pin or a wooden mallet – this is often best done outside or on a solid
stone floor – until you have the right size fragments. The final alternative is
to use bought chocolate chips or ‘pepites’ instead.
Powdered cocoa replaces melted chocolate in some recipes, for instance
a fat-free sponge cake or Swiss roll. Again, use the best cocoa powder you
can find. I prefer the dark, organic kind and either add the cocoa to the
mixture by pressing through a fine sieve to remove all lumps, or blend it with
warm water until smooth before stirring into the cake. If you wish to make
a chocolate version of any cake, cocoa powder can replace some of the flour
in the recipe – though too much cocoa changes the balance of ingredients,
making the baked cake rather dry, whereas melted chocolate contributes
moistness to a cake mixture due to the fat it contains.
64. [131]
FAVOURITE CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE
Derived from one of the most popular recipes in the original Cake Stall,
the sponge cake is sandwiched with whipped cream and topped with shiny
chocolate frosting.
Oven: °C/°F/gas mark Baking time: – minutes
Equipment: two cm/ in. sponge sandwich tins – buttered and base-lined
Makes: -portion cake
g/ oz cocoa tbs hot water g/ oz butter
g/ oz light or dark muscovado sugar, sieved
g/ oz self-raising flour tsp baking powder
pinch ground cinnamon eggs
filling:
ml/ fl oz double cream
frosting:
g/ oz icing sugar g/ oz cocoa powder
g/ oz pale muscovado sugar g/ oz butter tbs water
In a mixing bowl, blend the cocoa with the hot water until smooth. Add
the butter in pieces and all the remaining ingredients: sugar, flour, baking
powder, cinnamon and eggs. Mix together for – minutes, ideally using a
hand-held electric beater, until completely smooth.
Divide the mixture between the prepared cake tins and smooth level.
Bake in the preheated oven until the middle of the cake is springy to the
touch and just starting to shrink from the tin. Cool in the cake tins for
minutes then turn the cakes out on to a wire rack to cool.
The cream filling: is made by whisking the cream until thick but still glossy.
If you wish to sweeten the cream stir in a teaspoon of caster sugar. Spoon the
cream over one of the cakes and place the other on top.
To make the chocolate frosting: sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl.
Measure the muscovado sugar, butter and water into a small pan and stir over
